From A Salary In An Office To A Thriving Business - Kate Willett

In this episode, Adam and Jon sit down with Kate, founder of Chequered Fox, to explore the story behind a specialist fit out business supporting nurseries, schools and offices. Kate shares how her competitive nature has shaped her approach to both personal and professional growth. Rather than surrounding herself with people who think and work in exactly the same way, she has learned to build relationships with people who bring different strengths, perspectives and qualities to the table. Chequered Fox began with Kate drawing on her experience in childcare and her understanding of the early years curriculum, she recognised an opportunity to provide nurseries with carefully selected furniture, equipment and learning resources that genuinely support children, practitioners and the spaces they use every day. Kate explains how her childcare background gives Chequered Fox an important advantage. She understands that nursery furniture and educational products must do more than simply look attractive. They need to be practical, safe, durable and suitable for the way early years environments operate. Sustainability and longevity are also central to the business. Chequered Fox focuses on supplying high quality products that are designed to last, helping clients create better environments while reducing the need for constant replacement. The conversation explores the importance of traditional customer service. Kate explains why keeping clients informed, responding quickly and remaining available throughout a project have helped the business stand apart. Rather than treating fit out work as a simple transaction, Chequered Fox builds relationships and works closely with clients to understand exactly what their setting requires. The business has also expanded beyond nurseries into school and office fit outs. Kate discusses the significant contracts the company has secured and the opportunity to bring the same level of personal service, planning and product quality into these new markets. A major opportunity for Chequered Fox now lies online. The business has grown almost entirely through offline sales, personal relationships and direct conversations. The next stage is to develop its ecommerce presence, with an ambition for online sales to eventually generate the equivalent of 50% of the company’s current turnover. The episode also looks at the future of childcare. Kate believes demand for high quality childcare provision will continue to grow, while parents and operators become increasingly selective about the environments, resources and services they choose. Chequered Fox does not simply provide products. The company also helps nurseries understand how to use furniture and resources effectively, supporting the creation of comfortable, practical and educational environments where children can learn and develop. This is a brilliant episode for anyone interested in childcare, nursery design, school fit outs, educational furniture, ecommerce growth, customer service, sustainable business or the realities of building a company from personal industry experience. About the hosts Adam is the founder of Active Internet Marketing, a UK digital marketing agency helping businesses improve their online visibility through SEO, paid advertising, content marketing and website development. Visit Active Internet Marketing: https://activeinternetmarketing.co.uk/ Jon is from Octopus Computers, an established technology business providing IT support, cybersecurity, cloud services and business technology solutions. Visit Octopus Computers: https://octopus-computers.com/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:06 Competitiveness, personal growth and surrounding yourself with different people 03:47 Starting Checker Fox after voluntary redundancy 05:58 How Kate’s childcare background shaped the business 09:34 Traditional customer service and keeping clients informed 11:22 Expanding into schools, offices and larger fit out contracts 13:12 Kate’s motivation, ambition and approach to relationships 19:47 Growing the ecommerce side of Checker Fox 20:45 The future of childcare and demand for quality provision 22:00 Creating comfortable and educational childcare environments Thank you for watching. Please like, comment and subscribe for more conversations with founders, business owners and people building meaningful companies through experience, service and determination. #CheckerdFox #NurseryFitOut #SchoolFitOut #ChildcareBusiness #EarlyYearsEducation #EducationalFurniture #BusinessPodcast #FounderStory #WomenInBusiness #CustomerService #EcommerceGrowth #SustainableBusiness #ActiveInternetMarketing #OctopusComputers